


One Last Time

by loveandwar007



Series: Monarchs of Mewni [4]
Category: Star vs. The Forces Of Evil
Genre: Drama, Everyone Needs A Hug, F/M, Family, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Some Humor, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-09
Updated: 2017-03-09
Packaged: 2018-10-01 08:25:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10185056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loveandwar007/pseuds/loveandwar007
Summary: The first great tragedy of Star's reign, watching her predecessor and beloved mother slip away, puts the royal family through one of the universe's most enduring trials: Saying goodbye.





	1. Chapter 1

Night was beginning to descend upon the kingdom of Mewni as a young guard made his way down the nearly silent first floor corridor. Whistling a merry little tune to himself, he watched the servants draw the drapes closed as the blood red sunset peeked through the fabric. The castle was settling itself down for the evening after another day filled with activity, Mewman and monster nobles having departed a few hours ago after a long mediation. 

Though the first Heart Regime of the twenty-first century had been rocky from the start, most of the conferences ended with everyone placated to some degree. But tonight the guard was stopped by one of his comrades as he rounded the corner to the grand staircase. 

“Oh, you don’t wanna go this way,” he said in an undertone, stealing a quick glance over his shoulder. “It’s a battlefield in there.” He jabbed his thumb to the front hall where they could hear shouting voices echoing under the domed ceiling.

“But I need to finish my rounds.”

“You’re new, ain’t ya?” the older guard assumed. “Listen, when they’re yellin’ like that, you best steer clear. Who knows what’s gonna happen. Sometimes stuff gets thrown, and if she’s got her Wand--”

“Castor!” came the impatient cry of Geoffrey, the head chamberlain, carrying an official-looking envelope in his hand. “And -- _Nash,_ is it?” He eyed the rookie up and down before shaking his head. “There’ll be no dilly-dallying until the main floor has been fully inspected!” There was a flash of bright green light and they heard a crash that sounded like breaking glass. Geoffrey jumped around dramatically, clutching his heart. “Good heavens!”

“They’re at it again,” Castor said gruffly. “We ain’t goin’ anywhere _near_ there.” 

“Say no more, gentlemen, say no more!” Geoffrey exclaimed flusteredly, steering them away from the archway to the main hall. “We’ll go around the back way, it's safer.”

“Safer? But I don’t understand, w-what’s happening?” Nash stammered as he was pushed down the corridor by two pairs of hands. 

“The Queen is in a _towering_ rage,” Geoffrey hissed tremblingly as if he were physically quaking in the knees, fanning himself with the inscribed parchment. 

“With who? Her royal advisors?”

“Worse.” Castor shook his head. “Her husband.”

 

* * *

 

“I can’t _believe_ you voted against me!”

“What, because your decision to deprive more housing was a bad one?!”

 _“Nooo,_ it’s _not_ depriving housing, it’s refusing to build _on the Marshlands!_ I said that like ten times!”

“Then where are we gonna build them?! There’s no other solid vacant land! Mewni’s a dump!”

“Watch your mouth, Diaz, you’re King of this ‘dump’ now!”

“That’s right, I’m King! And last time I checked, the King’s in charge of the architectural department!”

“Oh so you read all the diplomacy books, good for you! Whaddya want, a cookie?!”

 _“Whoa!”_ Marco ducked as the wand wrapped tightly in his wife’s gloved hand shot a blast of green light across the room, smashing what looked like an antique vase onto the floor. “Would you put the Wand down?!” 

“Great-Great Grandma Celena’s vase,” Star gasped, pressing her free hand to her mouth before rounding on Marco again. “See what you made me do?!” 

“Me?! You’re the one who started screaming about it, as usual!” She glowered at him from the top of the staircase as he marched halfway up, folding his arms over his chest and taking a deep breath. “Look Star, you know I’ve always got your back--”

“Ha!” Star almost shrieked.

“I love you and I support you. But if you make a bad call, I’m gonna say so.”

“Queen Eclipsa used to escape to the Marshlands to practice her spells,” Star explained as calmly as she could, her shoulders heaving up and down. “The natural environment absorbed all of that wild experimental magic, and if we start digging up the ground and chopping down trees, who knows what dormant powers could escape.”

“My parents’ house absorbed all _your_ wild experimental magic and it’s still standing,” Marco remarked. “You're just as powerful as Eclipsa was. If anything goes wrong, you can fix it.”

“Oh that’s what I am?! Queen Quick-Fix?!” she cried shrilly. “Sure Marco, in-between stacks of paperwork, appearances, signings, balls, ribbon-cuttings _and_ raising our baby girl, I’ll go try and keep some ancient forbidden magic from destroying the entire dimension!”

“My Queen?”

“What is it, Geoffrey?!” Star whirled to her chamberlain who had sneaked through the entrance underneath the staircase.

“Eep!” he squeaked, cowering at the identical glares from both monarchs. “Erm well, a letter’s just arrived for you. From your father, the former King River.”

“Wait, an actual letter?” She pulled up her skirt to descend the stairs partway, leaning over the banister to take it from his trembling hand. “Like, handwritten and everything? What _year_ is it?” 

“Two thousand and twenty-nine, Madam.” 

“I didn’t mean -- _urgh,_ thank you Geoffrey,” she huffed. “I’m going to my room.” 

“Good idea,” Marco snapped. “First one you’ve had today.”

“I’ll need some people to clean up this mess. And the King to clean up his _act.”_

After the chamberlain rushed off gratefully, Marco stomped up the stairs to where the landing split off into two side staircases. “Let’s sleep on this and discuss it in the morning.” 

“I’m not changing my mind,” Star shot at him stubbornly. 

“Neither am I.” 

“Well _I’m_ the Queen so _I_ get the final word,” she emphasized, pointing her wand at her own chest. 

“And after you sleep on it, you’ll see that I’m right,” Marco added.

“And after _you_ sleep on it, maybe you’ll learn your _place!”_

The silence was so deafening they could practically hear every guard and servant pressing their ears to the walls. Star stood there gaping as if she couldn’t believe the words that had come out of her own mouth, yet her anger did not abate.

“My _place?”_ Marco repeated, his chocolate brown eyes blazing with ire as they locked onto hers. “Fine. Maybe my ‘place’ is sleeping in the study tonight.” 

“You do that,” she spat back as they each stormed up opposite staircases.

“And maybe after I’ve slept on it, I’ll decide my _‘place’_ is back on _Earth!”_  

“See if I care, Safe Kid!” 

“Pleasant dreams, Your _Majesty!”_

 

* * *

 

“I can’t stand him!” Everyone from the guards in the hallway to the handmaidens beside her winced as their eardrums nearly ruptured at the queen’s roar. “He’s just lucky he built up all that muscle. If he was fourteen again and noodly, ohh-hoho, I’d twist him into a _pretzel!”_

“Don’t you think you might be overreacting, M’Lady?” Astra suggested as she began to unpin the heart-jeweled tiara from Star’s thick golden locks. 

“Like you usually do when you have a disagreement with His Majesty?” Aurora said matter-of-factly, earning a warning glance from her younger twin. Had she spoken to any past Queen of Mewni so forwardly, she would have been reprimanded, sacked, or in some cases even beheaded. Star the Benevolent, however, usually just needed someone to vent to and wasn’t really listening to begin with. 

“Probably,” Star spluttered through her lips, blowing a frizzed strand of hair out of her face as Astra yanked the pins from her scalp. “Just lemme have this.” 

“As you wish,” Aurora sighed with an eyeroll Star luckily didn’t see as she slumped over her vanity, resting her chin on her folded arms.

“He doesn’t understand how easy he’s got it. He’s just a consort. He doesn’t have to break ties in the council or give final verdicts in court or…prioritize a less fair grievance over a fairer but more dangerous one.” She exhaled in relief as Aurora undid her corset -- she’d scarfed down that roast beef and mashed potatoes at dinner and had been feeling it for an hour or so around her middle. _“I’m_ the one who has to do all that. The only reason he has any royal standing at all is ‘cause he married me.”

“I thought status didn’t matter to either of you,” Astra pointed out as she unhooked the queen’s dressing gown from the wardrobe while Aurora combed out Star’s luscious waist-length tresses.

“It doesn’t, it…it’s not just that.” She stood begrudgingly as she flung her arms into the sleeves of her robe-like gown. “Sometimes I feel like he doesn’t trust me to make decisions on my own. And that’s been going on _way_ before I was Queen.” Grabbing both ends of the sash, she knotted it around her waist with unnecessary force. “I mean with smaller stuff, sure. But for the really important ones, it’s like he’s afraid to give me complete control or I’ll do something crazy!”

The twins exchanged a rather alarmed look, a sentiment many subjects of Mewni would share. Despite, on average, a prosperous reign, Queen Star had in fact been known to make some irrational choices that led to a few minor disasters, whose only lasting effects seemed to have been on the royal treasury. It appeared in those times the only thing that could reel her back in was the contrasting temperament of the king that created the balance in her wild reckless nature. Which was why everyone, no matter what their opinions on the sovereigns as diplomats were, could see they were a perfect fit for each other.

“I’m sure the two of you will be able to talk things over in the morning,” Astra said, letting a hand linger on Star’s shoulder comfortingly before pulling away. “He’s only ever had your best interests at heart, and you his. You’re a team after all.” 

“I know,” the exhausted monarch sighed, looking over at the two girls straightening out her clothes to be put away. “You guys can go if you want, I’m just gonna check on Pandora before I turn in.”

“And don’t forget the letter from your father,” Aurora reminded her, pointing to the wax sealed parchment sitting beside Star’s hairbrush, bristles tangled with blonde strands.

“Oh, and Astra? Your hair looks really cute.”

“Thank you, my Queen.” Astra fingered the ends of her jet black chin-length hair as she briefly curtsied. After nearly a year in her service, Star had gotten so fed up with trying to tell her identical ladies-in-waiting apart that she said one of them needed to get a haircut. Which backfired when the girls entered her bedroom a few days later -- one with shorter locks -- and made her guess which one of them had done the deed. How lucky Mewni was to have a queen with a good sense of humor, albeit a short temper in equal measure, bringing the twins’ fun to a swift end after their last hurrah.

In truth, Star loved them like they were her own sisters. When it came to confiding in them, she got the best of both worlds: Aurora’s dry practical approach with Astra’s sweet patient disposition. And as they left the room, shutting the door behind them and leaving Star with her thoughts, she realized it was going to be a lonely night. Maybe this was how Marco felt those times when she had too many commitments keeping her from accompanying him to visit his parents back on Earth, spending weeks apart from each other. 

 _Ugh stop, you’re supposed to be mad at him, remember?_ After debating back and forth for a few minutes, she decided to read her father’s letter first. Turning up the baby monitor next to the mirror in case her daughter began fussing, Star slid the envelope off the table and flopped back in her cushioned seat lazily, staring at the diamond emblem imprinted on the fuchsia wax.

“Alright Dad, what’s so important that you needed to send it by snail mail?” she groaned, breaking the seal and unfolding the parchment inside. She thought maybe it was one of his little encouraging notes he sent when he could tell the pressures of ruling the kingdom were getting to her, or an engraved invitation to a garden party at her parents’ retirement castle. Or even just a friendly reminder to not sleep with the wand under her pillow.

Nothing could have prepared her for what the letter actually contained.

 

* * *

 

“You rang?” Aurora called as she sailed through the doorway of the bed chambers she had just departed minutes earlier. Her heart stopped, then sank like a stone to her stomach once she saw the queen: Staring at the letter in her hands, her weakened knees giving way as the mattress broke her fall, fingers clutching at her mouth as she shook her head defiantly at what she was seeing.

The elder twin was at her side in a second. “Your Majesty, what is it?” Now she could see her face more closely, eyes red and brimming with countless unshed tears. “Tell me what you need.”

“Get Marco.” Not _‘The King’_ , not _‘His Majesty’_ as she referred to him professionally. It was like someone had throw a wrench into the inner gears of her system, making it impossible for her to filter her requests before they came spilling out. If her eyes weren’t deceiving her, if the shaky cursive her father had written was true, there was only one person she wanted here.

“But you told him to sleep in his study--”

“I know what I said!” Star burst out, pounding a fist on the comforter. “Just go find him now! That’s an order!”

Aurora bolted for the door, and once alone Star felt as if the walls were closing in around her, the floor swallowing her whole. Of course she could have just texted him in the room two floors down, but her hands were shaking so badly she could barely hold the paper, let alone her compact phone.

 _It’s not true…this isn’t happening…this cannot be happening._ The short gasps she heaved in and out sounded less like breathing and more like sobbing as she grabbed at her chest, closing her eyes, trying to steady her racing heart. She read the letter, over and over again until she practically had it memorized, yet the meaning behind the words wouldn’t register -- scanning them until they blurred into running ink, the tears finally overflowing down her recently cleaned face.

 _“My Liege!”_ She recognized her handmaiden’s shout from the other end of the corridor. _That was quick,_ the vague remark passed through her muddled thoughts, as she heard a pair of running footsteps getting louder.

 _“Star?!”_ And there was the scream she’d know anywhere, the cry of her name that ranged in urgency from burning nachos in the oven to a brush with death at the hands of an enemy. She nearly leapt out of her skin as he burst into the chambers, flinging the doors open with both arms.

“You’re here,” was all Star could say, watching Marco pant as he stood shocked still in the doorway wearing his grey sleepshirt and pajama pants.

“I-I was on my way to Pandora’s room and then Aurora told me you--” He stopped, noticing the shining rivulets coursing over the hearts on her cheeks. “What happened?”

“It’s…” The letter fell from her limp hands, fluttering onto the bedspread as she pushed herself up into a standing position. Once steadied on her feet, she raised her gaze to meet his. 

“It’s my mom.” 

Marco strode across the room to her as fast as he could, but Star collapsed to her knees on the floor, burying her face in her hands. He didn’t ask any further questions, he didn’t say a single word, he just gathered her crumpled form into his arms and stayed silent. And once she felt him surround her, shelter and protect her, once she was able to latch her nails onto his chest did she finally let go. A shuddering breath drew from her, followed by a long punctured wail that seemed to shake the very foundations of the castle. And the very cores of their souls.

 

* * *

 

 _“‘Crystal Anemia',”_ Marco read from the letter in the dim light as the moon rose higher into the sky from the open balcony window. “But there’s a cure for that, right? Some kinda potion made of crocodile tails and a severed warnicorn horn?”

Star shook her head weakly, “You’re thinking of Crystal _Decay_. And they have shots for that now, thank Mewni. It’s really contagious and fast acting.”

“Right, sorry, I-I mixed ‘em up.” He didn’t know what to say, all he could do was keep staring down at River Butterfly’s letter much in the same way Star had.

“Crystal Anemia’s been around for centuries. It used to be like a plague, people dropped dead from it left and right with little to no warning.” She swiped her wrist under her nose, sniffing up snot noisily. “Now they have treatments to delay it for as long as six months, sometimes a year. But there’s no cure.” 

“And how long does your mom have?” Marco asked, his eyes scanning the message for the answer. 

“A…few weeks.” Her reply was so small it was as if the wind had blown it into the room. Marco’s eyes widened in shock, fear and anguish gripping his heart as Star lowered her head. “Maybe a month. I guess…they caught it too late.” Fresh tears spilled out, dripping copiously into her lap as Marco flung the letter aside to slide closer to her on the bed. 

“I’m sorry, Star.” He pushed her hair aside as he held her face, “I am so _so_ sorry.”

Star took one of his hands and gave him a light kiss in his palm. “I’m sorry, too. About earlier.”

“No Star, none of that matters anymore,” Marco said firmly, drawing her close against his chest. Sometimes it took drastic measures to snap them back into shape, and all the spats, no matter how dire or trivial, would never outweigh their devotion to each other. Especially not when it was needed most.

“Remember after Pandora was born, Mom said she was gonna teach her how to tame a warnicorn before she was four?” Star gulped into his shoulder as he stroked her hair. “And when she said she’d help me plan next year’s state dinner after my Wand malfunctioned this year? But she didn’t get mad, she--”

“She was just glad you were okay,” Marco finished in a constricted voice, rocking her gently.

“We were finally close! We understood each other, after all that time thinking I would never be the daughter she wanted! Now it’ll be _over_ , just like that!” They both heard the cry of an infant as the baby monitor lit up in warning on Star’s table. “Oh no, Pandi! I forgot to check on her!”

“The twins are taking care of her, she’s okay,” Marco assured her as she made to break from the embrace.

“Oh Marco, _Pandi,”_ Star sobbed. “She’ll never know Mom…Mom’ll never know _her_. And Dad, poor Dad! I can't even imagine what he's going through!”

“Shh, I’ve got you,” Marco choked out as his wife gripped him tighter. “I know, Star…I know…” He held her on the bed for what felt like eons, every one of her sobs ripping through his heartstrings. Star’s mother had never been particularly close with him, but they did have a fondness for each other in their shared level-headedness when dealing with their spouses’ impulsive behavior. He admired her greatly, and had watched firsthand as Star’s relationship with her repaired itself over the years.

_“She’s going to be a fine Queen,” Moon had said to him in one of the rare moments they had alone together. “I never would have guessed it before she went to Earth. And I can’t help thinking you may have had something to do with it.”_

“I don’t know what to do, Marco,” Star mumbled into his shirt, her breath hitching. “I need to go to her, but at the same time there’s so much to do _here.”_

“Star, it's less than a month.” He pulled back so his wet eyes met hers. “Of course you have to go, she’s your mother. I’ll stay here and--”

“No.” Star shook her head quickly, her fingers digging further into the fabric on his back. “You have to come with me. I-I can’t deal with this by myself, I need you!”

“Okay, okay,” Marco hushed, smoothing her hair down comfortingly as she trembled under his touch. “We’ll call Tom in the morning and tell him what happened. He’ll help the council take the necessary actions for a month’s leave of absence.” Having a friend on Star’s team of advisors, particularly one who was Underworld royalty himself, had always been a tremendous advantage to them. And they were going to need all the support from friends they could get. 

“Good, totally totally…you’re right,” Star continued to mutter, swiping at her leaking eyes absentmindedly. “Sorry, I’m just not thinking clearly.”

“You need to focus on one thing right now, Star.” He brought his lips to her forehead and let them linger for several moments. “Saying goodbye.”

 

* * *

 

A pair of their stockiest, strongest guards heaved Star’s final trunk into the back of the carriage, shoving it securely in place so their luggage looked like a tower of blocks. Star watched them wipe the sweat from their brows and give each other a high-five before heading back inside the castle.

“It’s all ready to go, Your Majesty!” the gruffer one called over his shoulder. 

“Thanks guys, you’re the best!” she waved at them while balancing Pandora against her hip. At a year and a half, the baby princess was growing more aware of her surroundings, and knew a road trip was upon them as she clapped her pudgy hands together.

“Car!”

“That’s right honey, ‘car’!” Star repeated, bouncing her excitedly. Naturally she was getting it confused with Marco’s Chevy back on Earth, but at her age she called anything with four wheels _‘car’_. “Grandma and Grandpa are gonna be so happy to see you.”

“Is keeping the plants watered _really_ a top priority?!” came the irritated yell of a certain demon king as he rounded the corner with Marco at his heels.

“Pandora loves those marigolds, and they are going to be thriving and _not_ sun-dried when we get back,” Marco said firmly, poking Tom in the back to emphasize his point.

“Pandora loves them, or _you_ do?”

“Does it matter? Just make sure they’re watered!”

“Oh yeah sure, I can see it now: ‘Hey guys, turns out you’re going to war with the Goblins, but at _least_ the garden looks beautiful!’”

“Aw Pandi, look at my two favorite boys fightin’ like an old married couple,” Star teased as they approached her.

“I am so sorry,” Tom said to her in an undertone, after a deep breath to calm his simmering temper. “Both about your mom and you having to put up with _that.”_ He jabbed his thumb at Marco, who made a lewd hand gesture most unbecoming of a king of Mewni. “Your Papa is so _rude,_ little missy!” He took Pandora from Star’s arms and lifted her above his head, making her squeal in delight at the illusion of flight. “How’d you like to come home with your Uncle Tom instead?” 

“Great, he’s gonna kill my flowers _and_ abduct my daughter,” Marco muttered, throwing his hands up in exasperation. “And yet for some reason, we don’t trust anyone else to oversee the council in our absence.” 

“Relax, Tom has his own kid to deal with,” Star pointed out. “Speaking of which, is Janna okay with you just ditching her and Lily for a month?”

“Oh they’ll pop in every few days or so,” Tom shrugged, swinging the princess in the air as she laughed up a storm. “Besides this was the perfect time to call me in, we’re kinda in the middle of a fight right now.”

“So were we, until…” She trailed off, but Tom understood and gave her a nod.

“Yeah but you and Marco get over it in, like, a few hours. One time, Janna and I went up to two _weeks_ without talking to each other.”

“Two weeks of silence? Sounds like heaven.”

“Ugh, do _not_ say that word in front of me!” Tom exclaimed as Marco took his daughter from him. “Alright, besides your stupid plants, is there any other last minute stuff I need to know?”

“Well, there is the whole Marshlands debate,” Star sighed, rubbing her temples exhaustedly. “But I can’t make an informed decision right now with Mom…you know. We’ll have to put a hold--”

“Tell them we’ve decided to close it off,” Marco interrupted. “For now, at least. We’ll reopen the case again in a few years.” He pulled a sealed envelope from the inside pocket of his embroidered jacket and handed it to Tom. “Here’s the official statement from us, so they don’t think you interfered with the decision at all.”

“Okay, will do,” the demon nodded, looking between the king and queen to make sure they were both in agreement before sliding the envelope into his own inside pocket.

“You’re not just giving in to my choice out of pity, are you?” Star arched her eyebrow at Marco.

“No, I’m giving in because I’ve been thinking it over and you’re right. It’s too risky right now to allow the region to open again.” He cracked a smile, pulling Pandora’s wandering fingers out of his mouth. “I think the one who’s lived here her whole life just might know what she’s talking about more than me in this case.” 

“Car!” the princess shouted even louder, pointing over her father’s shoulder to where Aurora and Astra were loading their things into the servants’ carriage behind theirs.

“Someone’s ready to get on the road,” Star let out a dry chuckle, the closest thing to humor she could muster right now.

“Thanks again, man,” Marco stuck out his hand and Tom shook it before pulling him into a one-armed hug.

“Anything else you need, ya know where to find me,” he said, booping Pandora on the nose with his long-nailed finger before turning to Star. “Well, say hi to your folks for me. And tell your mom…she’ll be missed.”

“I will…” Her lip quivered as Tom slid a hand around her back, prompting her to leap up and latch her arms around his neck. “Thank you for doing all this for us. Especially me.”

“Hey, hey…it’s gonna be okay,” Tom said soothingly, returning her embrace. “Not right now obviously, but it will be. Someday.”

“Take care of her, Tom,” Star sniffled as she pulled back. “After she passes.”

He shook his head. “She’s not goin’ down there, I guarantee it. Her soul’s outta my hands.”

 

* * *

 

With Butterfly Castle being so far inland, the journey to the retirement abode on the lake was just over three hours long. Even with the carriage speeding along at a brisk fifty miles per hour, the trip seemed to take forever -- mostly from Star’s perspective. Half the time she was distracted by playing car games with Pandora and Marco, but when her daughter drifted off to sleep in her baby seat, she was left alone with nothing but her grief.

The longer they rode, the closer they came to facing the inescapable situation. Sometimes Star tried to fool herself into thinking the whole thing was just a bad dream, until she opened her purse and found the letter folded inside, wrinkled and splattered with her own tears. When the driver finally announced that they were fifteen minutes away, Marco gently pulled her fingers from the letter and latched his hand around hers. Star returned his hold and they sat in silence, no words needed, and not letting go until the carriage finally rolled to a stop.

Despite the dry summer months, her parents’ abode gave the illusion that it was always springtime. Fresh green grass covered the lawns, pastel flowers lined the lower walls of the castle exterior, and trees filled with cherry blossoms blew petals here and there in the wind wafting in from the lake. The baby princess squealed and pointed when she saw the vast blue body of water, and her parents knew she was ready to get her swimsuit on. 

“Yeah yeah, I know,” Marco said to the impatient toddler hanging onto his neck as he dragged his suitcase with his other hand. “Grandma first, then lake. Okay?” Pandora scrunched up her face in disappointment, bopping her father on the nose with her hand. “I’ll take that as a _‘Whatever you say, Dad’.”_

“Dad?!” Star called as they entered the front hall, just as cheerfully decorated on the inside as it was outside, the Diamond Regime coat of arms adorning the peak of the archway. 

“Sir, the King and Queen of Mewni have arrived!” 

“Just say ‘Star and Marco’, geez,” Marco sighed out to Manfred, the snobbish little chamberlain who gave him a critical look in turn. Good thing he hadn’t stuck around the castle after River and Moon stepped down, because neither he nor Star could stand him.

“Star?” A pair of eager footsteps pounded closer and closer, until the short stout form of River Butterfly came into view under the archway. “My goodness, we weren’t expecting you until nightfall!”

“I wanted to get here as soon as we could,” Star said as she ran to him, bending down to kiss his cheek. “How is she?”

“Actually, quite well today. Seemed to perk right up when she heard the three of you were coming.” His half-hearted pleasantness gave way to a full bombastic greeting when he saw his granddaughter in Marco’s arms. “Ah, here she is!” 

“Gampa!” Pandora called as he scooped her up and kissed her all over, laughing as his beard tickled her face. 

“I confess, her crib won’t arrive for the nursery until tonight,” River said in a muffled voice as the princess tugged on his thick mustache.

“Don’t worry, she slept in the carriage,” Marco waved off, handing his bags to the servants who were parading into the hall with their luggage.

“Hullo girls!” River called to Aurora and Astra, who curtsied to the former king. “Guest room’s on the third floor, left-hand tower!” He glanced curiously around at the servants carrying trunks, “Heavens, you brought the whole castle with you.”

“Well if we’re staying for a month, plus a bunch of it is Pandi’s baby things alone--”

“A month?” He glanced over at his daughter, who had remained uncharacteristically quiet. “Darling, you’re -- you’re staying here the _whole_ time?”

“Until…” And suddenly she didn’t care that they were surrounded by staff or that Manfred was practically breathing down their necks. Star flung her arms around her father, unleashing the despair she’d bottled up during the entire trip onto his shoulder. _“Daddy…”_

“Oh my dearest Star,” River whispered as he wrapped her close, feeling tears well up as she cried silently against him. 

“I’m, uh, gonna help the twins unpack,” Marco said to no one in particular, carrying Pandora as he followed Manfred up the grand staircase. Right now, Star needed to be with the only other person who could understand exactly what she was going through, and it wasn’t him. 

“She’s been very tired for awhile now,” River explained, patting Star’s hand as he walked her down the main floor corridor. “Which we felt was odd, her being only fifty-two. But we didn’t think much of it and thought it would pass. Then she began hemorrhaging from a violent coughing fit and we knew something had to be wrong. As soon as she was diagnosed with the Anemia, I wrote to you straight away.”

“Why didn’t you call?” Star asked raspily, wiping her eyes with the handkerchief he had given her.

“I didn’t know how to say the words I needed to out loud…and still hold my composure.” He chuckled ruefully, “Don’t want to see your old man fall apart at the seams now, do you?”

Star wasn’t sure how to respond. Sure that would have scared her, but she would have understood completely. Moon Butterfly, the love of his life, was dying. He had loved her since they were young teenagers, just as Star had loved Marco since that age. To suddenly have to face a world without her in it had to be tearing him apart inside. And here she was sniveling like a two-year-old instead of being his rock like a real adult child was supposed to for their parent.

“Star, is that you?” Any resolve she had left crumbled away as she heard her mother’s voice coming from the parlor around the corner.

“You’re supposed to be resting,” River reprimanded her as Moon glided into view, holding onto the wall for support. Her face was whiter than usual, making the fuchsia diamonds on her cheeks stand out, and sunken in a bit as if she hadn’t been eating. She looked weak. She had _never_ appeared weak before. And that was the most frightening thing Star had seen so far. 

“River please, I can still _move,”_ Moon said with an exasperated roll of her eyes before turning her attention to her only child. “How are you, dear? How was the trip?”

“How -- how am _I?”_ Star gaped at her incredulously. “Y-you’re the one who’s -- who’s--” She didn’t finish, she couldn’t finish as Moon opened her arms and the young queen fell into them. 

“They’re staying for the duration, Moon,” River said quietly, staring down at his twiddling thumbs.

“Star,” Moon lowered her tone disapprovingly. “You cannot leave the castle for that long on such short notice. What about--?”

“I don’t _care,_ Mom!” Star burst out. “Whatever you’re gonna say, it doesn’t matter. This is way more important. _You’re_ more important.” Her mother leaned against her as they walked back into the parlor, and only after they were seated on the sofa did Star drape her arms around her waist.

“It’s all true, isn’t it?” 

Moon smoothed down the top of her head, letting her daughter lay in her lap like she was a little child again. “It is,” she said in the most grave tone she had ever uttered. “I’m losing my appetite. My wings are already fraying. Soon my entire body will just…shut down.” She leaned down to kiss her hair as Star shuddered. 

“It’s so awful. Why you of all people?” 

“Because my time has come, I suppose,” her mother rationalized as best she could. “I never dreamed this would happen, but sometimes there are forces not even a powerful Queen can conquer.”

“Does it hurt?” Star asked innocently, her large pools of baby blue gazing up into Moon’s sapphires.

“Some days are worse than others. I expect it to become more painful as it goes along.” She smiled down at her, “But I have the best caregivers in Mewni, from the nurses to your father himself." 

River reached over and took her hand, rubbing his eyes dry on his sleeve. “And of course, you have our little girl.” 

“He’s right,” Star stated with a surge of strength. “I’m here now, Mom. And I’m not going anywhere.”

The door to the parlor opened again and a pair of little feet padded towards them, Marco following behind Pandora who was dressed in her blue ruffled swimsuit.

“There’s my granddaughter,” Moon said warmly, Star sitting up so the baby could crawl into her lap. 

“Give Grandma a kiss,” Star prompted, and her daughter obeyed as she turned to Marco. “How’d you get her to be so quiet?”

“I bribed her with C-A-K-E for dessert,” Marco admitted under his breath. He gently took his mother-in-law’s hand, kissing both of her cheeks. “How are you?”

“I’ve been better,” Moon replied honestly, giving his face an affectionate pat before pulling Pandora's grabby fingers off her earrings. “But I’ll admit, as much as I don’t like you both being absent from the castle, I…am glad you're here.”

  
She shut her eyes, feeling another seizure tighten in her chest, then slowly fade. This was going to be hard for all of them to endure, but she needed to make the most of her precious little time left. Not only for her own sake, but her loved ones’ as well.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first great tragedy of Star's reign, watching her predecessor and beloved mother slip away, puts the royal family through one of the universe's most enduring trials: Saying goodbye.

The sun beat down on them heavily, but the cool wind from the lake seemed to balance it out into a refreshing summer breeze. Dressed in a seafoam green swimsuit with a thin skirt wrapped around her thighs, Star reclined in the patio chair on the beach with Moon seated across the table from her, two teacups between them. The former queen kept her gloved hand wrapped around a gold-finished cane she now needed to walk, which Star tried not to focus on too much. Its presence only made her mother seem older than she really was, and was a looming reminder that each day -- each minute -- was closer to the end.

“He’s gonna bury her alive,” Star chuckled as she watched her husband pat down more sand around Pandora, who was lying inches from the tide’s edge.

“She likes the danger element of it,” Moon mused at the laughing child under the sand, shifting her light blue parasol as the sun moved slightly. She sighed deeply, “Now who on Mewni could she have gotten _that_ from?” 

Star peered over at her, perching her own pink parasol on her shoulder. “You seem really tired today. Maybe we shouldn’t have come down here.” In the two weeks they had been there, Moon’s sickly periods had been few and far between. So much so that Star had expressed to Marco that maybe she would outlast the previously predicted month. To which he gazed at her sadly, pressing his lips to her cheek whispering, _“Please don’t get your hopes up.”_

“Of course we should have, darling, I needed the fresh air,” her mother insisted primly, sounding as indignant as a child told to stay indoors when it rained. “Besides, this may be one of the last times I can.”

“Wha -- really? But I thought you were doing okay!”

“I had a very bad night last evening. There was quite a bit of blood involved.” She raised her eyes from her cup to meet her daughter’s horrified expression. “It was the worst it’s ever been. I made your father promise not to tell.”

“Mom, you can’t _do_ that,” Star cried out. “This is the whole reason I’m here. To take care of you.” She shook her head frantically, “I had no idea. I need to move into the bedroom next to yours, so I can be there when these things--”

“You need to stay put right where you are and let nature run its course.” She stared out at the rolling waves on the water as she took another sip of tea. “There’s no helping me, Star. I’m done for.” A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth, “And you don’t want to leave Marco’s bed cold.”

“He’s a big boy, he can deal,” Star snorted, even though a twinge of shame tugged at her heart. She was totally slacking as a wife, meanwhile he had been a saint throughout this ordeal. He kept Pandora entertained when she wanted her mama’s attention, not to mention holding Star’s hand and being her shoulder whenever she needed it. _“Hey, you’d do the same if it was my mom,”_ he had said, and he was right. Star would move heaven and hell to be there for Marco if he were in her place, and made a silent vow to make this all up to him when that hopefully distant time arose. 

“Uh-oh, here it comes!” Marco called, sliding down into the sand so he was lying on his side, blocking the incoming tide from washing over his daughter. Unfortunately he underestimated the size of the wave and was pushed forward onto the mound she was buried in. “Oh you think that’s funny, huh?” he coughed, spluttering up water as Pandora cackled at his belly flop.

“He’s gotta be the dorkiest king Mewni’s ever seen,” Star laughed along with them.

“Oh no, your father was worse,” Moon said with a moan. “It took years of grooming for him to have even a fraction of the dignity he’s maintained now.” She paused, a faraway look glazing her vision over. “That’s why I married him. He was _real._ Not those manufactured men Aunt Etheria tried to set me up with.”

 _“Ugh,_ she made it perfectly clear she didn’t approve of Marco,” Star said through gritted teeth.

“That was nothing compared to her reaction when I said yes to your father,” Moon countered. “She was much younger then, and two seconds away from snatching the crown right off my head. The word _‘barbarian’_ was said a number of times in front of him, and I finally had to show her my Wand and remind her who was Queen.”

“Oh man, I woulda _loved_ to have seen that!” Star exclaimed, and Moon laughed lightly. Which preceded a coughing fit, and she pressed a handkerchief to her mouth as Star waited with bated breath for her to cease. “No, show me,” she insisted as Moon glanced down at the cloth before trying to stuff it out of sight. She gingerly slid it across the table, and Star could see globs of dark red against pristine white. She swallowed hard and nodded, indicating she understood. 

“Your father…isn’t doing well,” Moon said softly. “Don’t let his cheerful front fool you. Once we’re alone, he’s -- he’s simply shattered. And I can’t console him.” She wiped her eyes as tears began to form, “I need you to be there for _him,_ Star, if anyone.” 

“I will. I need Daddy, too.” She leaned over the table and reached for her mother’s hand, “I’ll be there. Me and Marco, we’ll do everything we can for him.”

Moon nodded, just as their attention was caught by a baby’s wail. Pandora, now free from her dune, had fallen face first into the sand after running from the tide and began howling. Marco hurried over and scooped her up into his arms, rocking her and making shushing noises as he brushed the sand from her face.

“He’s so good with her,” Star sighed, displaying one of her first real smiles since she arrived there. “I mean, he’s always been great with kids, but he just loves Pandi more than anything.” 

“What he lacks as a royal consort, he makes up for as a wonderful husband and father.” Her mother squeezed her hand back, watching Marco plant kisses on the little spade marks on Pandora’s cheeks. “This is why I’m not worried about you, dearest. You have your own family now, you’ve done well for yourself. And you are a great Queen.”

“How do you know? I’ve only been Queen for four years.” 

“And look at everything you’ve accomplished. You did the unimaginable, working to bring the monster race back into Mewni’s good graces. Some of us have tried and failed dismally, but you actually succeeded.” Taking a deep breath, Moon pressed her weight against her cane as she rose from the chair, Star grabbing her arm to help her stand. “I have nothing more to teach you, because you have already exceeded my expectations.”

Her daughter’s smile only grew despite tears beading in the corners of her eyes. “You have no idea how much that means coming from you, Mom.” She tightened her hold on her, “Follow me.” 

“Where are we going?” 

“If this is really the last you’re gonna see of the lake, then you have to do this.” Leading her ever so carefully through the sand, they trekked closer to the water’s edge where the calmer waves rolled in and out like the steady rise and fall of breathing. “Oh, shoes gotta come off,” she insisted, bending down to remove her mother’s sandals one at a time.

“Star?” Marco eyed the two of them warily as Pandora tried to escape his arms, reaching towards her mother. “What’re you doing?”

“Wait…” With a loud rippling of water, another wave rolled towards them and Moon braced herself in her bare feet. With a startled yelp, the icy cold water immersed them up to their ankles, their gasps dissolving into laughter as the water receded quickly like a vacuum.

“Isn’t that the coolest feeling?” Star said softly. “The sand slipping out underneath your feet when it pulls back?” She glanced sideways at her, “Okay, ideally I wanted to take you out on the boat or have you water ski over some rocks, but I don’t think you’re up to--” 

“It’s wonderful,” Moon breathed, fixating her gaze on the clear blue sky meeting the turquoise lagoon on the horizon. “These little pleasures I’ve taken such advantage of. It feels…just wonderful.” 

“We’ll have to come back out later to watch the sunset,” Marco added. “Nothing tops that.” 

“Yes,” Moon agreed. “I want to see all of them. Every last one until my final breath.” 

“Yeah, of course…” Star trailed off as her throat tightened painfully. “Of course we will, Mom.” She didn’t even realize she was crying until Moon reached up to brush a couple tears from her cheeks, her eyes as vibrant as ever despite her pallid complexion. And as she held her hand to aid her balance once more, Star realized with a sharp pang that her mother’s arms and legs were quivering with strain. 

“I’m so glad I got to do this one more time…”

 

* * *

 

“My Queen! My Queen, wake up!” 

“Mmm, whaahappaaa…” Eyes blinking through the fog of sleep, one arm numb underneath her torso, the side of her face damp with drool against her pillow, Star wavered between the plane of dreaming and consciousness at a frantic stage whisper calling out to her. “Astra?” she deciphered blearily, recognizing the girl with the short bob.

The handmaiden panted heavily, clutching a stitch in her chest from running up two flights of stairs. “Come quickly -- it’s your mother.”

She sprang up in bed so quickly she nearly clocked Astra in the face with her head. “We’re on our way down,” the queen slid effortlessly into her businesslike tone. Astra sprinted from the room, and her heart sank like a stone when she saw the grievous look on the younger twin’s face.

“Marco?” Star rolled over and shook her already stirring husband. “C’mon Marco, it’s Mom. Something’s wrong.”

“Oh no,” he moaned, in distress rather than tiredness. Within moments, they had donned their robes and raced down the two flights to her parents’ chambers. A small crowd of nurses were milling about, all whispering, some shaking their heads as the sovereigns pushed their way towards the door.

“Lemme through,” Star choked out between strangled breaths.

“You can’t go in there,” the head nurse stated, blocking the door with his free arm. His other arm was carrying bundles of rags stained with blood.

“Let the Queen through _right now,”_ Marco growled in the most threatening authoritative voice he had inside him.

“Majesties, the sight is just too--” 

“I fought in _two_ wars, one of them when I was a teenager!” Star blasted out in one breath. “I can handle anything! Now let us in!” 

“I won’t!” the nurse stomped his foot. “That’s an order directly from your father, M’Lady.” 

Star breathed heavily through her nostrils for a moment. “Daddy needs to stop coddling me,” she muttered before straightening her shoulders and lifting her chin. “As Queen of Mewni, I command you to let me through this door immediately.”

The nurse sucked in his lower lip indignantly, just as another sharper voice piped up. “Are you disobeying a direct order from Her Majesty?!” They whirled to see Manfred striding up, pointing a finger at the built man’s chest. “Open that door!” 

“A thousand pardons,” the nurse lowered his head, stepping aside so Star and Marco could barge into the bedroom. It was dimly lit with only a few candles when the door clicked shut behind them, the room hardly quiet between the frantic undertones of River, the two doctors beside him, and the shallow ragged breathing from the bed.

“Mom?!” Star cried, flying across the room to kneel beside where Moon lay with her long periwinkle hair loose and damp with sweat, gasping for air like a fish out of water, her eyes bulging up at the ceiling as if not really seeing it, and her chin streaked with dried blood.

“Star--?” 

“How could you keep this from her?” Marco shot at River as he crouched beside his wife. “Why didn’t you tell her it was this bad? She’s your daughter!”

“I never wanted her to see her mother like this!” River exclaimed brokenly, clutching Moon’s white sweaty hand to his chest. He gasped as her head shot up from the pillows, only to cough out another gurgling stream of deep crimson.

“Oh my G--” Star turned her face into Marco’s chest, shaking like a leaf. They had seen troops blasted to bits, limbs shredded, gaping open wounds and decaying carcasses before many times. But this was the woman Star had loved and idolized her entire life, lying there feeble and violently ill, and not one of them could do a thing for her.

“It cannot be helped,” the younger doctor with silver spectacles mused to River sadly. “I’m afraid she may be entering her final hours, sir.”

“Wha--no! Nonononono!” Star blurted out, Marco hanging onto her so she wouldn’t lunge at the doctor and his associate. “She can’t be! It’s only been…it’s…how long--?”

“Four weeks,” Marco whispered dismally.

“She was fine!” she blubbered without a shred of queenly dignity. “She was just fine last night, she can’t--she _can’t--!”_  

“River…?” Moon seemed to have returned to consciousness, her eyes blinking and unfocused on the people around her. 

“I’m here, darling,” the former king rumbled, kissing the hand he still had nestled between both of his. “I’m always here…” Every breath she drew rattled in her chest, drops of blood trickling from the corners of her mouth that he wiped away with his handkerchief. 

“I’ve made…quite a mess, haven’t I?” she tried to chuckle, but only coughed dryly.

“Never,” River assured her. “Even now, I have never seen such beauty and valor as yours.” He moved closer, letting his hand rest behind her head as she lifted it to his with every ounce of strength she had left. And ever so tenderly, their lips met.

“Excuse me,” Star whimpered, pressing a hand to her mouth as she tore from the room, bursting into tears as Marco followed her into the corridor. Even the doctors slowly made their way out to give them privacy. But they appeared to have eyes only for each other.

“My radiant, undaunted Queen,” River breathed, letting his thumb stroke the diamond on her cheek as her smile wilted.

“You know the real me, River,” Moon shook her head, tears gathering rapidly in her eyes. “I’m frightened. And -- and it _does_ hurt--”

“There there, love,” he whispered, letting her rest her head on his neck and cry weakly into his beard. “Remember the first war of our marriage? I was taken out of commission by flying debris of all things. Wailed like a babe as they pulled the shrapnel from my side.”

“I know,” Moon sniffled, “I was there. Holding you the whole time.”

“And now it’s my turn.” Tears trickled down into his beard as he cradled her, feeling her slender arms wrap around his torso. It had been years since they laid with each other contentedly like this, Moon not being one for affectionate intimacy. How truly unfortunate that such circumstances had led them to each other’s embrace for what might very well be the last time. 

“I don’t deserve you, I never have.” Her body seized up against him, and he shushed her until the agony passed. “You brought such color into my grey life…such love into my world of indifference. Because of you…I feel this life of mine, while cut short, was fulfilling.” 

River did his best to compose himself as he looked down into her gaunt gleaming face. “Your drive and fortitude, the passionate and vulnerable woman I could see under the mask made you my one and only love. I could not ask for more, nor would I wish it.” 

Moon inhaled raspily, “Your vows…from our wedding.” 

“Yes well, best to go with what’s tried and true when words fail you.” He kissed her forehead as Moon cupped his face, helpless to stop the flow of his tears. “Whatever will I do without you?”

“Oh River,” she murmured, “you’ll move on, of course. You have our daughter and son-in-law, and our granddaughter. You will never be alone. And I forbid you to remain heartbroken.” 

“That’s impossible, Moon…” His face crumbled, anguish cut into every wrinkle on his face. “For half of my heart is with you.”

 

* * *

 

“My parents never kiss,” Star hiccuped, sitting with her forehead pressed against Marco’s as they stared down at their entwined hands, knuckles pale with ivory and tan fingers tangled around each other. “They’re just not huggy-feely like yours are. But…it was beautiful, and _terrible_ ‘cause they’ll never do it again.” There was silence, apart from the gentle breeze wafting through the open windows, the dark blue of the evening sky brightening slowly as twilight approached.

“Marco, say something.” 

“What?” he replied, barely audibly.

“Anything.” Even her most feeble voice sounded desperate, clutching his hands like a lifeline. “You always know what to say. I can’t tell Mom this ‘cause she’s in real actual pain but…this hurts, Marco. It’s so bad, I can’t hold up much longer. Say something so it’ll _stop.”_  

The young king exhaled, his nose gently grazing hers as their eyes fell closed. Usually he did know what to say. Usually Star got herself worked up over things so trivial in the long run that all he had to say was _‘relax’_ or _‘breathe’_ and she was back to thinking rationally again. Sometimes she became apprehensive about holding court or passing a new law, and he was always there with a confidence pick-me-up. She wore her heart so visibly on her sleeve that she could bawl at the drop of a hat, over anything from her favorite hangout closing to a wounded unicorn they found in the forest. It got so over-the-top that sometimes Marco couldn’t help but find it comical, yet he never laughed in front of her.

Not this time. This was a defeated broken Star Butterfly he rarely saw, clinging to the man she swore time and again she didn’t need to rescue her. In battle, she didn’t. But now she was begging him to save her from this suffering, raw and ugly from deep inside her core that manifested itself in her weeping, so sorrowful that it squeezed his heart into pieces. The one time his wife, his best friend for eternity needed him to make it stop hurting. And…

“I can’t,” he managed to croak out through his constricted throat. “I got nothing, Star. I wish I did. But believe me, your pain isn’t any less real than your mom’s. It's just…different.”

She didn’t pull away, only hung on tighter as tears dripped from the end of her nose onto their hands. “Then c-can you just hold m-me?” He didn’t hesitate for a moment, rubbing the back of her silk dressing gown steadily as she crumpled against his thick soft bathrobe. And still there was silence, choking them speechless in the vacant corridor as the world around them vanished, and they had nothing but each other. 

Dawn had practically risen when River emerged from the chambers to find them on the loveseat, Star asleep from crippling emotional fatigue in her husband’s arms. “Dearest?”

“Star…” Marco nudged her awake and she raised her head, taking a second to get her bearings before clapping a hand to her mouth when she saw her father’s face, red and washed in tears.

“No--”

“She’s still with us, but we’re past the point of no return.” River laid a hand on her shoulder, “And she’s asked for you.”

“Go ahead,” Marco prodded.

“W-wait, you--” she stuttered as he loosened his fingers from hers.

“I’ll be right here,” he whispered, cupping her neck to kiss her lips briefly. “Go.” Very hesitantly, she let her hand fall from his and drew herself up before almost gliding down the corridor. As she disappeared behind the door, River collapsed onto the seat beside Marco, running a hand over his eyes.

“What of Pandora then?” he asked the younger man, who had his elbows propped on his knees, staring at the floor.

“The twins have her,” Marco answered without looking up. “They’re real good at taking the initiative when Star forgets to give them instructions.” He sighed, “They’ll bring her down to say goodbye when she wakes up.”

“And what about you?” River asked, his tone a mix of curiosity and empathy.

Marco's brow furrowed slightly at his father-in-law. “Me?” He almost scoffed. “This isn’t about me. I’m here for Star and you.”

“My boy, you cannot possibly believe that little of yourself,” River reprimanded him. “You’ve been a member of this family for years. You don’t have to hold it all back for us.” He took out his handkerchief to blow his nose, and Marco noticed the streaks of blood on the white cloth. And his eyes did dampen at the sight. 

“It’s not fair,” he admitted, “She’s an amazing woman. After everything she’s done, everything she survived, for something like this to just…”

“I’ve told myself the same thing countless times,” the former king nodded, clapping a hand on his successor’s back. “Moon was never easy to impress. And you impressed her right away, you know that?” 

“As a King?” 

“As a life companion for our daughter,” River clarified. “In many ways, that role is more important than the Queen herself. Could you imagine the opposite extremes if either Moon or I had ruled Mewni by ourselves? No, it took the two of us together, as it now takes both you and Star.” He paused, “She told me about the quarrel you two had before coming here.”

Marco blinked, having totally forgotten about that. The Marshlands mediation and the blowout afterwards felt like a million years ago. “We both said some stuff we didn’t mean,” he defended quickly, unable to read River’s tone.

“Who amongst us hasn’t?” the former king said lightly. “Moon and I nearly torched the gardens once during a party, it became so heated. Erm, no pun intended.”

“We smashed an old vase. But I’m sure we’ll catch up to your destructive track record soon.”

“No, you’ll be better than us. You already are.”

Marco placed his head in his hands, unable to look River in the eye. “I’ve never felt so helpless,” he mumbled, his voice breaking. “I can’t do anything for Star, and it kills me to see her like this.” He stopped. Did he _really_ just say that to the man whose wife was hours from death? 

River didn’t seem to mind, knowing they were all in an agitated state. “Star is a resourceful soul, who has found strength in every heartbreak she’s endured. Because she is loved. By her people, by myself and her mother, her daughter…and you.”

“I do,” Marco’s voice continued to waver, knowing full well he had been the cause of one of those heartbreaks so long ago. “I always will.”

“That is how you help her.” The older man’s eyes overflowed once more, squeezing his son-in-law’s shoulder firmly. “Love her, Marco. Cherish her. Show her every day that she is the center of your universe. Because someday, she could be snatched from you forever.”

 

* * *

 

She drifted in and out of consciousness as a nurse checked her vitals, feeding the potions into a vein in her arm. Moon was now unable to even lift her head or swallow, her hair losing its shine, her eyes their ardor the seldom times they opened. It was as if all of the magic, her life force, was being drained out of her, leaving her an empty husk. And Star, who was nearly at her breaking point, could do nothing but wait until her mother awakened again. _If_ she did.

“I am so very sorry, M’Lady,” the nurse, who couldn’t be much older than Star’s own handmaidens, said in her thick Scottish accent. “Me aunt died of the Anemia five years ago. It’s hard to watch them fade. Especially one as powerful as Moon the Undaunted.”

“Thank you,” Star managed to squeak out, as the nurse bowed and left out the back door. _Yep, you’re one tough act to follow, aren’t you?_ She placed her hands over Moon’s folded on her stomach, listening to her every breath wheeze dangerously. Holding on tightly, she remained vigilant as her puffy tired eyes continued to pour tears -- there was no point in stopping them as they pattered onto the bedspread. 

 _Don’t leave me…_ She prayed as hard as she could, as if her own inherent magic could will her mother back to the world of the living. _You wanted to tell me something, you can’t go yet…_  

Moon’s head rolled to face Star, her eyes fluttering open. “Oh good, you’re here,” she said like they were about to sit down to tea. Star could only nod, and her mother’s hand trembled as it held her face. “Now dear…you’re not going to cry the whole time, are you?” 

“I might,” Star replied blankly, practically expressionless despite her wrought features. 

“Nonsense. You’ll be prominent in the public eye very soon…because of this. And you are still their Queen.”

“I can’t be Queen without you,” Star’s voice warbled. “I can’t pretend to be that perfect idol they can worship, not now. I’m not strong enough to be the heir of Moon the Undaunted.”

Moon returned the firm hold on her hands as best she could, her breathing so labored it was as if just speaking was physically hurting her. “I will always…be giving you strength. And…you _can,_ Star. You’ve done it so many times--” 

 _“No,_ it’s not the same, Mom,” she argued, her tone rising. “I could put on that face because I knew you’d be there to help me be the Queen they want. When you’re not there, all I know how to do is be myself!” 

“I never wanted you…to not be yourself, darling. I wanted you…to recognize your responsibility…and grow to take control of your destiny.” She gave a wan smile, “And you have. You have grown so much…you don’t need me anymore…”

“Don’t say that!” Star flung herself prostrate over the bed, clutching her mother as she wept. “Just _stop_ saying that. Do you know how much I regret all those times I said I _didn’t_ need you? When we either ignored each other or screamed in each other’s faces? All that resentment and pushing you away? When I was so wrapped up in my own head that I couldn’t see that everything you did was because you loved me and wanted to protect me from making the same mistakes you did?”

She convulsed even harder, feeling weakened gentle arms close around her. “We were supposed to have more time than this. _I_ was supposed to feel like I’m ready to let you go, but I’m _not!_ It’s like -- it’s like we were just starting! I’m not Star the Benevolent, and I never will be! I’m just a stupid fake and a _horrible_ daughter who couldn’t even give her mom the lifetime of love she deserved.”

“You’re wrong,” Moon breathed into her ear, “I cannot…even begin to tell you how wrong you are. I could not have wished for a more…perfect child. Just perfect…for your father and I. You are…my beautiful brave girl…and I love you.”

Star coughed, choking on her own sobs. “I love you so much, Mommy. And I’ll think about you every day.”

“We’re not that different in the end…you and I,” Moon whispered, her fingers combing through her blonde locks. “We rocked the status quo of the Butterfly dynasty…in many of the same ways. We both opened our minds…and hearts to the plight of monsters, we both…took liberties with our magical education.” She smiled, “We both married for love…instead of royal standing. You’d be surprised how…revolutionary that notion is even now.” 

Her voice was now so faint that Star had to stifle her crying to hear her. “And so much of…what you blame yourself for…is just as much my own fault. I should have believed in you…from the beginning.” 

Her daughter drew a shuddering breath and let it out, the air having been cleared at last. “And look at you now, teaching me how to say goodbye.” She curled deeper, burying her nose in her bosom. “Lemme stay here just a little longer.”

“I’d love that…” Perhaps it was a hallucination, or she was actually asleep and this was a dream. But Moon suddenly felt twenty-eight years younger, holding a small bundle against her breast swaddled in blue with golden curls and rose hearts on her cheeks. Beside her was River, stout with a youthful goateed face, embracing them both. And for what felt like forever, she remained in that moment, the happiest of her life…

 

* * *

 

The low moans of mournful trumpets rippled with a chain effect throughout the land of Mewni late that afternoon, the likes of which had not been heard for many decades. Mewman and monster citizens alike immediately stopped their daily business, bowing heads, removing hats and dropping to their knees. Parents whispered to their children, who did not understand the sound’s meaning.

The bustle inside of Butterfly Castle ceased, the flurry of chatter dying. Some wept, others stood in reverent silence. Tom stood from his desk, moments before Janna appeared in the study doorway holding Lily who whimpered from the noise. And though they were at odds, he still swept over to pull her close and she let him kiss her cheek -- their minds only on their friends and what the call of those trumpets were saying.

The former Queen Moon the Undaunted had died. 

What no one outside of the retirement castle on the lake could hear was the vocal weeping of those three people who had kept vigil at her side until her final moment: River’s howls echoed down the corridors as the white sheet was placed over his wife’s corpse, Marco pried Star’s fingers from her mother’s as he finally broke down, his grief mingling with hers. 

And for three days, in memory of a great queen’s legacy, the entire heart of Mewni was broken.

 

* * *

 

“Gamma,” Pandora pointed down at the still form in the casket, no longer gaunt and ailing but restored to her glowing prime for the public wake. Her face was smooth and flawless with makeup, wearing her diamond crown atop her loose hair fanned silkily beneath her. She was dressed in the midnight blue gown she had worn to Star’s wedding with her hands at her navel folded over a sword’s hilt, the blade parallel with her legs.

“Looks like she’s sleeping, doesn’t she?” Star remarked pensively, holding her baby close as a comfort, letting her rest her head on the black lace collar of her mourning dress. The royal family donned black at the loss of a loved one mostly for show, but frankly Star didn’t feel like sporting her usual pastels anyway. The whole universe just seemed a little bit darker now that one of its brightest lights had gone out. 

It had been a long day of relatives and nobility parading in and out, some of whom hadn’t even spoken to Moon since she married River Johansen -- and to whom Star had greeted rather icily at their arrival. But for every false boo-hooing on her mother’s behalf she had to put up with, there were genuine hugs and tears from Star’s close friends. Pony Head bawled so hard that mascara ran all the way down her neck, followed by a solemn Kelly and Tad, who somehow managed to break up and get back together during the three hours they were there. Alfonzo and Ferguson showed up with more gift baskets than they could carry, hungry for details while still being sympathetic, and Star had never been so happy to see Jackie Lynn Thomas in her life. They sat and chatted animatedly for ages like they were at a high school reunion, Marco eventually joining them. Star didn’t even worry when she had to leave her husband alone with Jackie to greet more people, nor did she flinch when Jackie hugged Marco goodbye and pecked his cheek. They had all grown up, and any awkwardness from years ago had dissipated with time and maturity.

Now it was just the family left, before her mother was finally laid to rest. The High Commission would arrive soon to perform the ritual, where Star would cast a spell to disintegrate the body into stardust, which would then be placed in an ornate urn to display in the castle’s mausoleum with the rest of the late queens. Marco thought that sounded a lot nicer than the rather harsh process of Earth cremation.

“I never appreciated it this much until now,” she whispered, both to Moon’s form and to the child in her arms. “That mother-daughter bond. You never know how much you take advantage of it until it’s gone.” She sniffled as she looked down into Pandora’s face, from her bright blue eyes to her crimson spade emblems. “And I barely paid any attention to you during this whole thing.” She kissed the top of her wispy brown head, “Things’ll be different now, sweetie. I promise I’m gonna do better, and you’ll know that your mama loves you.” 

She felt someone come up beside her and knew Marco had returned from seeing his parents off, appearing in his dark grey formal jacket with a black sash. “Your dad’s gone to summon the High Commission.”

“So it’s almost time,” Star nodded, the wand attached to her belt suddenly feeling weightier. She saw him grip the edges of the glass coffin as he peered down at her mother, his brown eyes glittering with tears in the candlelight.

“It’s all…so fast.” 

“This isn’t just about Mom, is it?” She brought an arm up around his shoulders, kissing his temple before he turned his head to press his lips to hers.

“You’re gonna be lying here one day,” he rasped out. “And I’m never gonna be ready for that.”

“Marco, we’re not even thirty yet,” Star shook her head at him alarmedly. “Why are you talking like that?”

“‘Cause she just…faded away too quickly.” He brought his fist to his mouth, shaking his head. “I’ve been watching your dad cope every day leading up to this, every hour since she passed. He smiles at everyone, makes small talk -- I think he laughed once or twice. I-I couldn’t _do_ that if I’d just watched you die, there’s no way.”

“Marco…” Her eyes brimmed as she watched his own tears roll down his cheeks. “Look at me,” she pleaded, and he obeyed. “Number one, you might go before I do -- who knows? Number two, you’re gonna be fine because you’re Marco Diaz. Not just ‘the Queen’s consort’ or my better half. We’re not halves of anything! We’re two whole souls bonded together.” 

He brought up his hand, resting it in her hair as Pandora cooed against Star’s chest, her eyes drooping closed with her fingers in her mouth. “That night after the mediation…I can’t believe I threatened to leave you.” 

“And I can’t believe I made you feel inferior to me,” she said sadly. “I can’t _believe_ I’m making all the mistakes I swore I wouldn’t as Queen -- starting with letting my status corrupt me.” She looked down at her mother’s peaceful face. “You did that, and you regretted it.”

“It takes the two of us together,” Marco breathed out, repeating the very words River had said to him a few days earlier.

“You’re right,” Star nodded, cupping his cheek. “From now on, it’s about both of us. Queen Star and King Marco, running Mewni together just like we’ve done everything else. And if we fight about something, then we won’t rest until we reach a compromise.”

Finally, Marco managed a smile. “Now that’s a decree I can get behind. Your mom would be proud.”

“Your Majesty.” The two of them whirled around at Omnitraxus’ booming voice as he floated into the room, followed by Rhombulus and Hekapoo, River bringing up the rear. “We’re ready.” 

Star kissed her sleeping daughter one last lingering time before giving her to Marco, then approached the members of the Commission with dignity and purpose. “Shall we?” 

Positioning themselves at the corners of Moon’s casket, a sudden magical surge coated her body like a shield, rippling and crackling like electricity as it flowed through three bodies of immensely powerful entities. Star stood elevated over them on the stairs, the wand quivering in her hand as she watched her mother’s corpse become immersed in the embalming enchantment.

“I can’t…” She looked beseechingly at her father, as if asking his permission to dispose of his wife’s body, while the fear of watching her disappear gripped her heart.

“You must,” River nodded, his face filled with a hybrid of torment and inescapable duty.

Clutching it tighter in her fist to stop it from shaking, Star raised the wand over her head and it began to glow bright magenta. Closing her eyes, an incantation in her native Mewnian like a sort of song or prayer flowed from her lips. And as it reached its peak, everyone bowed their heads as Star’s hearts glowed, the spell spreading from the top of Moon’s head to her feet. Little by little, her form vanished into nothing but glittering dust as the last traces of Moon Butterfly left them forever -- until all that was left was her sword lying solitary in the coffin.

  
“Goodbye, Mom…”

 

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos are great, but comments are better :)


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